UK police, Muslim community leaders work to head off post-bombing hate crimes News
UK police, Muslim community leaders work to head off post-bombing hate crimes

[JURIST] British police are bracing for hate crimes against Muslims in response to the announcement Tuesday that the perpetrators of the London bombings were British citizens [JURIST report] and are vowing to handle any calls swiftly and vigorously. Police chiefs and community leaders have met in Scotland Yard to discuss and prepare for potential retaliation. The chief constable of West Yorkshire, where hate activity is expected because of the high Muslim population and the apparent roots of the London terror cell, urged the people to be "calm, resilient and measured in what they say and how they act." Police have reported 300 anti-Muslim hate crimes since the bombings, including the death of a man after anti-Muslim comments were yelled at him in Nottingham, an attack on a school boy in the West Country, and raids in Dewsbury and West Yorkshire. Sir Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), expressed "anguish, shock and horror" [MCB press release] in hearing the news that "our youth have been involved in last week's horrific bombings against innocent people", and expressed the group's "resolve to helping the police bring to justice all involved in this crime." From the UK, the Guardian has local coverage.